James Moseley's API is in with a chance of winning the 2018 Rado Star Prize UK

A student design
that mimics the rhythm of daylight to reduce Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
has been shortlisted for a prestigious prize run by luxury Swiss watchmaker
Rado.

Final year BA
(Hons) 3D Design student James Moseley is in the running for the 2018 Rado Star
Prize UK. James is one of just ten up and coming designers shortlisted, and as a
result will exhibit his work at designjunction from 20 to 23 September 2018,
during London Design Festival.

If his project,
named API is chosen as the judges’ winner, he will receive £5,000 in prize
money and a Rado watch. An additional public winner, picked by those attending designjunction
will also receive a watch.

By aesthetically combining
colour, movement and the use of quality materials, James’
design is intended to contrast with the utilitarian
‘plastic’ look of existing SAD products. Made from dichroic glass, anodised
aluminium and waterjet cut steel, the design uses an Arduino processor to
control the projection of blue and red light, reproducing morning
and evening light
respectively, and fading between the two over the course of the day.

James has
constructed three prototypes, which he exhibited at New Designers in
the Business Design Centre, Islington, earlier this month.

James said: “I
particularly like working in hard-wearing materials like metals and woods, and
I think that if something is made well it can last beyond a human lifetime.
Quality comes from the passion of the designer, and I believe I can transfer
both passion and quality into the things I create.

“I have found
myself designing and making mostly lighting objects, trying to manipulate the
way that light interacts with us, and how we interact with the objects.

“This product
incorporates the motion of nature's light cycle, and how it interacts with
movement of the user’s body. I’ve focused on aesthetics, taking away the white
plastic that is usually used and adding warmer materials and colours.”

“Through the
project, I realised that it was more interesting to influence the mindset of
the user rather than clinically treating them.”

Roy Tam, Associate
Head of School (Marketing and Recruitment), School of Art, Design and
Architecture said: “This is not just a light but a point of view. James’ design
not only has health benefits but also embeds the latest technology within a
treasurable object.”

"I think that if something is made well it can last beyond a human lifetime. Quality comes from the passion of the designer, and I believe I can transfer both passion and quality into the things I create."

James Moseley's API

3D Design - Designer Maker graduates

"My favourite memory has got to be when I sold my final piece to the Vice Chancellor during my degree show".
Dan Murley.

"There’s an old saying that you ‘look with your fingertips’ when it comes to working with wood, and that’s absolutely true. But at university I was a sponge, learning to work with new materials like plastic and metal."
Joe Kennedy.